Utilizing Paralympic skill lab in higher education: exploring the student experience through wirting to learn
Faculty Advisor Name
Cathy McKay, Ed.D., CAPE
Department
Department of Kinesiology
Description
Utilizing Paralympic skill lab in higher education: exploring the student experience through writing to learn
Colleges and universities are a microcosm of larger society, reflecting many of the same patterns of interaction and social structures, including stereotypes related to disability. Applying intervention programs at the collegiate level to educate, inform perceptions, and advance a culture where individuals of all abilities are celebrated has vast social implications. Thus, the purpose of this study was to explore the impact of Paralympic skill lab through writing to engage reflection questions.
Participants were 77 undergraduate students enrolled in a general education lifetime fitness and wellness course (Mage=19.64; 50.65% male, 79.22% Caucasian) at a university in a Mid-Atlantic state. Participants took part in a Paralympic skill lab education session during a typical class meeting and were asked to complete a ten-item questionnaire at the lab’s conclusion. The questionnaire included six demographic questions and four long-format writing to engage questions which were intended to elicit the participants’ feelings about the experience. After data collection was completed, data were compiled into a spreadsheet, and the first author open-coded the long-format questions. First, the coder assigned a code (i.e., short name) to each response. Responses which spanned several content areas were provided more than one code. Following, codes were reassembled and grouped into broader categories. To finish, codes were reviewed and discussed with the second author, and agreement was reached.
First, demographic findings were characterized descriptively. Secondly, descriptive statistics (e.g., frequency counts) for the codes created from the four long-format questions were compiled. In total, participants’ responses were coded into 159, 123, 114, and 70 codes for the four long-format questions. The most commonly coded responses to question one (i.e., Can you describe your experiences engaging in the skill lab?) were coded as fun (n=50), challenging (n=21) and eye-opening (n=9). Similarly, would do again (n=12) and eye-opening (n=11) were the two most frequently used codes for question two (i.e., Can you describe how you feel about this experience?). For the third question (i.e., How does taking part in the skill lab shape your attitudes or actions towards inclusion, adaptive athletes, and disability sport?), the most frequently used codes were negative assumptions about disability (n=18), increased respect (n=8), and would promote (n=7). For the final question (i.e., Reflect on any a-ha moments that occurred as a result of taking part in the skill lab.), the most common response codes were challenging (n=22), requires skill (n=8), and fun (n=6).
Paralympic sport education experiences executed with contact theory as the theoretical foundation offer an avenue for enlightenment toward disability and inclusion. Writing to engage helps students develop greater control of the concepts, skills, processes, and issues addressed, and deepens the learning from the hands-on educational experience. Future research should extend the use of the skill lab as a teaching and learning tool, to gain a comprehensive understanding of its impact. This includes replicating the research with focus group interviews, and utilizing quantitative pre/post surveys.
Utilizing Paralympic skill lab in higher education: exploring the student experience through wirting to learn
Utilizing Paralympic skill lab in higher education: exploring the student experience through writing to learn
Colleges and universities are a microcosm of larger society, reflecting many of the same patterns of interaction and social structures, including stereotypes related to disability. Applying intervention programs at the collegiate level to educate, inform perceptions, and advance a culture where individuals of all abilities are celebrated has vast social implications. Thus, the purpose of this study was to explore the impact of Paralympic skill lab through writing to engage reflection questions.
Participants were 77 undergraduate students enrolled in a general education lifetime fitness and wellness course (Mage=19.64; 50.65% male, 79.22% Caucasian) at a university in a Mid-Atlantic state. Participants took part in a Paralympic skill lab education session during a typical class meeting and were asked to complete a ten-item questionnaire at the lab’s conclusion. The questionnaire included six demographic questions and four long-format writing to engage questions which were intended to elicit the participants’ feelings about the experience. After data collection was completed, data were compiled into a spreadsheet, and the first author open-coded the long-format questions. First, the coder assigned a code (i.e., short name) to each response. Responses which spanned several content areas were provided more than one code. Following, codes were reassembled and grouped into broader categories. To finish, codes were reviewed and discussed with the second author, and agreement was reached.
First, demographic findings were characterized descriptively. Secondly, descriptive statistics (e.g., frequency counts) for the codes created from the four long-format questions were compiled. In total, participants’ responses were coded into 159, 123, 114, and 70 codes for the four long-format questions. The most commonly coded responses to question one (i.e., Can you describe your experiences engaging in the skill lab?) were coded as fun (n=50), challenging (n=21) and eye-opening (n=9). Similarly, would do again (n=12) and eye-opening (n=11) were the two most frequently used codes for question two (i.e., Can you describe how you feel about this experience?). For the third question (i.e., How does taking part in the skill lab shape your attitudes or actions towards inclusion, adaptive athletes, and disability sport?), the most frequently used codes were negative assumptions about disability (n=18), increased respect (n=8), and would promote (n=7). For the final question (i.e., Reflect on any a-ha moments that occurred as a result of taking part in the skill lab.), the most common response codes were challenging (n=22), requires skill (n=8), and fun (n=6).
Paralympic sport education experiences executed with contact theory as the theoretical foundation offer an avenue for enlightenment toward disability and inclusion. Writing to engage helps students develop greater control of the concepts, skills, processes, and issues addressed, and deepens the learning from the hands-on educational experience. Future research should extend the use of the skill lab as a teaching and learning tool, to gain a comprehensive understanding of its impact. This includes replicating the research with focus group interviews, and utilizing quantitative pre/post surveys.
